Promises of Tomorrow
by Geheimnis Secret
Summary: Naruto leaves on a training trip with Jaraiya for two and a half years. After all of that time, Hinata decides to make a move on him. She may succeed, if Ino, Sakura, and Jaraiya's antics don't screw everything up!Please Review! Chapter 7 is up!
1. Nobody to Say Goodbye To

Yay! It's my first fanfic!

I am a big fan of NaruHina fanfics, so I thought why not write one?

Please please please review! Criticism is definitely welcome! (and so are compliments =]). If you like the story, just let me know and I will work hard to finish it!

Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I DO NO own Naruto. (sigh) I know, life sucks. Well, onto the story!

Promises of Tomorrow

Naruto sighed as he lay down in the cool, green grass. He usually wasn't one to feel depressed, but after everything that has happened to him recently, no one could blame him for feeling down. _Failure after failure after failure…..who else can I possibly let down? _Naruto laid in silence as he re-capped everyone he ever let down in his head. _Let's see….I let Sasuke down by not bringing him back to the village, I let Sakura down for not bringing Sasuke back, I let Hinata, Kiba, and Shino down when I farted on that bug mission…….._tears started to stream down Naruto's eyes as he stood up from the grass.

"And I let this whole damn village down!" he shouted out as he remembered all of the villager's hateful glares for having the Kyuubi sealed inside his body. That hurt the most. Having a whole village against you. On the surface, they are comrades. Deep down, they were just waiting to stab Naruto in the back-literally.

Hinata flinched as she saw Naruto get up and shout. She wanted to go out and comfort him so badly….to just let him know how important he is to the village-and her. Hinata inwardly cursed at her shyness. For years, she has had the biggest crush on Naruto. That crush has blossomed into love. She truly wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She would even die for him (even though she would rather live with him).

"Damn it…..I am so pathetic…" Naruto said, barely above a whisper as he plopped himself back onto the wet green forest grass.

_Not as pathetic as I am_ thought Hinata._ I have loved you for years, but all I could ever so is watch you from behind this tree!_

Naruto looked around at the surrounding forest.

"Well, at least the scenery is nice…," he said as he looked around his secret clearing. No one except Naruto knew about the clearing in the forest. It was beautiful. Naruto found it a perfect place to train or think without being interrupted. It wasn't even that deep in the forest. The reason why only he knew about the clearing is because the people of Konoha were too busy to explore the beautiful forest. They were either too busy traversing the trails to trade with neighboring villages or jumping through trees to complete a new mission.

Naruto smiled. He always came to this special clearing since his academy days a year ago. His special spot that no one knew about…..except Hinata, of course. Little did Naruto know, Hinata would watch him every single day as he would train or rest in the clearing.

Naruto sat up and rubbed his stomach hungrily. Even on his worst days, he could always go for a nice, hot bowl of delicious, golden noodles soaked in warm, perfectly seasoned broth: ramen. The thought of his favorite food instantly brought a smile to Naruto's face.

"Alright! It's decided! Chow-chow time!" Naruto cheered as he pumped his fist into the air. Hinata smiled as she saw her love get up and make his way to Icharaku's Ramen, whistling the whole way.

"Nothing can keep Naruto-kun down for long," she said to herself as she sighed happily and stepped into Naruto's secret clearing. She often lies on the cool grass, just like Naruto, and fantasize about her dream life with Naruto. She giggled to herself as she imagined herself hand-feeding Naruto ramen.

"Hey old man!" Naruto shouted as he chowed down on the last bit of pork ramen in his bowl. "Give me another! With miso this time!"

"Coming right up!" the cheerful old ramen shop owner said cheerfully. He was always happy to please their best customer.

Ayame giggled as she cooked the broth for Naruto's next bowl of ramen. "Geez, Naruto. Do you even take the time to taste it?"

"Yup!" Naruto said cheerfully as he started to slurp on a noodle that was stuck to his face. "I eat ramen everyday! I love it!"

"Seriously, Naruto," said a voice behind him. "A ninja must keep up his health. You should eat more fruits and vegetables."

Naruto spun around. "Pervy Sage!?! What are you doing here?"

Jaraiya sighed as he lightly punched Naruto's head. "Don't call me that! I am the great Toad Sage, Master Jaraiya, one of the legendary Sanin…….and the best looking," he added with a stupid smile on his face. Ayame just laughed nervously and Naruto muttered something under his breath.

"Anyway," Jaraiya said, back on the topic. "Remember when I told you that we are going to go on a training trip soon?"

Naruto nodded with excitement. "Are you going to train me???" he asked eagerly.

Jaraiya chuckled. "Yes, Naruto. I think it is time I taught you what I know."

"ALRIGHT!!" Naruto yelled loudly.

"Calm down, Naruto," Jaraiya scolded. "You may want to say goodbye to your friends. We are going to be gone a while."

Naruto's smile instantly turned into a frown. He remembered, again, how he let everyone down. His failure at retrieving Sasuke, how he endangered his friends against the Sound Four….

"I'm afraid I don't really have many friends to say goodbye too," Naruto said sadly. "It would be better I didn't-they wouldn't even notice I'm gone."

Jaraiya's goofy expression hardened into a serious scowl. As much as he and the blonde argued and fought, he stilled loved the boy like a son.

"Naruto," Jaraiya began, trying to offer encouraging words.

"It's alright, Pervy Sage," Naruto said as he gave Jaraiya a fake smile. "I'll be ready tonight, okay?"

Jaraiya shook his head. He only hoped that he could be a good enough teacher to snap Naruto out of his depression. He let out a long sigh as he watched the young boy walk off in the direction of his apartment to gather his belongings.

"We have a long road ahead of us…," he muttered under his breath.

-Hours Later-

Hinata slowly got up and rubbed her eyes. She fell asleep dreaming about her and Naruto. She started to walk back into the village.

_Whoa! I was out for a while! _she thought. _It's getting dark!_

Hinata walked up to Icharaku's Ramen. Seeing the place reminded her of Naruto. _Maybe Naruto is eating there right now_, she thought to herself hopefully.

Hinata walked up to the shop and peeked inside. She frowned. _No Naruto. Oh well…,_ she thought as she began to leave.

"Excuse me, young lady," the old shopkeeper said. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Did you happen to see Naruto come by here?" she asked with a small blush.

"Sorry," Ayame said, emerging from the kitchen. "He left with Master Jaraiya on a long training trip earlier."

Hinata's eyes widened with shock. "H-h-he l-left?" she said through tears. "I-I-is this a j-j-joke?"

The old man shook his head sadly. "It's a real shame," he said quietly. "Before he left, he said he had no friends….no one to say goodbye too. He has really gotten lonely recently.."

Hinata let her tears fall when she realized he wasn't telling a joke.

"He'll be back," Ayame said soothingly. Naruto's depression also saddened Ayame and her father. Naruto was, after all, their favorite and best customer. He would always share his exaggerated tales about how he valiantly kicked Sasuke's butt on his newest mission.

Hinata shook her head, trying to shake herself out of this nightmare. "N-n-n-no I-I…h-h-he… I didn't even t-t-tell..," she cried in between tears. She ran off towards Konoha's front gates, hoping to catch Naruto before he left.

_I never even told him I loved him….._

Ayame and her father watched Hinata take off towards the village gate.

"Someone really is fond of him," the old shopkeeper said solemnly. "I knew it. Naruto really can be a pain sometimes."

Ayame nodded in agreement. "Things will be boring for a while without Naruto."

"Yes it will."

-Flash Forward-

Hinata stood by the gate. She has remained at the spot for as long as she could remember. She watched as the beautiful autumn leaves paraded around her wrinkly body. She slowly moved her mouth. Speaking has been hard for her old body recently. Her gray hair flowed in the breeze, causing it to tangle and catch an assortment of brown and red leaves.

"H-h-how long?" she asked slowly with a harsh cough. Her wrinkly hands couldn't even reach her mouth to cover up the cough. Damn old bones.

"Naruto……."

Hinata snapped awake, breathing heavily. _Thank God…just a dream, _she said, trying to calm down her racing heart. Ever since Naruto left two and a half years ago, she has had nightmares every single night. She got out of her bed and made her way towards the washroom. She splashed her face with cold water and brushed some of her long, silky dark blue hair out of her face.

Over the years, Hinata really grew. Not only was her Gentle Fist Technique getting better by the day, but she really grew into a beautiful young woman.

Recently, it has gotten even harder to face the fact that Naruto left. It was as if Hinata's heart ached more and more for him everyday. She secretly knew that she would never stop loving Naruto the way she did, no matter what.

Hinata also began to really get scared. Naruto has been gone for more than two years. She began to doubt the fact that he would come back, as much as it killed her to do so. Either that or he comes back when he's eighty years old, like in her nightmares.

Little did she know that her Naruto would return to Konoha that day!

-Noon-

Hinata got dressed up for the day. She woke up at about eleven, which was really late for her. She and her team had no missions, so she decided to visit Naruto's old secret clearing. Whenever she wasn't on a mission or training, she would lie down on the cool grass and allow the warm rays of the sun caress and heat her body.

She put on her favorite purple jacket, which clung tightly to her abdomen, showing off her curves. Yes, she has gained a little bit of confidence, at least clothes-wise. She shuddered when she remembered her old ugly and poofy Eskimo jacket. She also put on tight blue pants and standard black ninja sandals.

-Outside of Konoha, at the same time-

"Well, Naruto," Jaraiya said happily, satisfied with Naruto's growth. "What is the first thing you are going to do when we walk in? Go say hi to everyone? Pick up some hot chick? Who knows? Maybe you might get lucky and lo-"

Jaraiya was immediately cut off by Naruto's fist. "Damn it, Perverted Hermit. Why the hell can't you cut that crap out?"

Jaraiya just gave Naruto a stupid smile.

Naruto groaned and turned away from the older ninja. He could barely put up with two and a half years of this guys perverted garbage. One time, Jaraiya (censored) with (censored) in (censored) and tried to get Naruto to (censored). What was his excuse? He needed damn research for his perverted books! Seriously, who would read that trash anyways (besides Kakashi, of course).

Naruto also grew in the time he was gone. He grew very tall, just a head shorter than Jaraiya. He wore a new black Konoha leaf headband and a new black and orange jumpsuit. His hair also grew longer, causing Jaraiya to compare his appearance to the Fourth's.

"Here we are," Jaraiya announced. "It's been a while. I can't wait to party!"

Naruto sighed. "You go on, Pervy Sage. I need to go some were first."

"Gotcha," Jaraiya said as they stepped through the gates. "Just promise me you will say hi to the others.

"Fine," Naruto said, rolling his eyes. He actually didn't really look forward to meeting up with the others. Not after all he did a couple years ago. He especially remembered how his crush, Sakura, slapped him and abused him for not bringing back Sasuke. _Seriously!_ Thought Naruto. _What did I ever see in that bitch?_

Naruto walked into the forest to search for his old secret clearing. He wanted to at least spend a couple hours home alone. He still remembered exactly where it was.

Naruto stepped into the clearing, and noticed that someone else was laying in his special thinking spot! _Make that a cute someone_, thought Naruto as he caught sight of the young girl's long blue hair and curvy figure. Naruto couldn't take his eyes off her body. _Damn it! That old perv is rubbing off on me!_ Naruto scolded himself.

Hinata sat up after she sensed a large amount of chakra approaching the clearing. _Who could it be? Only Naruto and I know about th-_

Hinata's thoughts instantly stopped. She was paralyzed with shock when she saw his bright, piercingly handsome blue eyes and sexy whisker marks on his cheeks. She turned light-headed when she saw his familiar spiky blonde hair.

"Hinata!" Naruto yelled out. "Is that you? You look amazing!"

That is all Hinata heard before she slipped out of consciousness.

Well, I hope you liked it. This is the first time I tried writing. Please review so I can decide whether or not I should make another chapter. Criticism is also welcomed……


	2. Welcome Home, Naruto

Thank you for the reviews!!! I love hearing that people like my story, so if you like it, please review….please????? Anyway, I decided to add another chapter, so based on where this goes (because I have no plans for a story…I'm wingin' it), I might add more.

Well, hope y'all like it!

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, Naruto would already be with Hinata (everyone knows it's going to happen sometime).

Hinata slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She was in a small, dirty apartment room. A small fridge sat in one corner. Stains and trash littered the once-white carpet, making it now look unnaturally brown.

_Where am I? _She thought to herself. She put her hand to her head as she tried to remember what happened. _I went to the forest and then I saw-I saw Na-_

Hinata's train of thought was interrupted as Naruto suddenly appeared out of nowhere, his face inches away from hers.

"Are you alright, Hinata?"

Hinata turned a deep shade of red, and miraculously managed to stay conscious. It took a while for her brain to register the fact that he asked her a question.

"I-I'm f-f-fine," she squeaked.

"Good, I was worried, there," Naruto said energetically as he pulled up a chair from a nearby table and sat down. "I still need to meet everyone. Seeing you made me want to see how much everyone else changed."

Hinata just nodded and tried to make herself not stare at her love.

"Anyway, you've really changed, Hinata. I like your hair," Naruto said and flashed her a warm smile.

Hinata's heart skipped a beat. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red (if that were even possible).

"T-th-thank y-y-you, N-n-aruto-kun," was all she managed to say.

Naruto got up and stretched. "Sorry, Hinata, but I'm going to have to leave. The Pervy Sage wants me to say hi to everybody."

Hinata nodded. It finally stuck her that she was in Naruto's apartment, laying in his bed.

"_No! This is too much!_" Inner Hinata squeaked as Hinata lost consciousness (once again).

Naruto frowned. _She's probably sick. I'll have to take her home._

He walked up to his bed and bent down to pick up the girl. He couldn't help but stare for a couple seconds. First, at her smooth, fair face. Then, at her perfect curves. Lastly, her big-

Naruto shook his head and tried to clear any perverted thoughts away. It was too late, though, because Naruto found himself undressing Hinata with his eyes.

"Damn that Pervy Sage!" Naruto cursed out loud. "I've been hanging around him too long."

Naruto quickly snuck Hinata back into the Hyuuga Complex before he dashed off towards Tsunade's office. He suspected that Jaraiya might be there.

Jaraiya was busy giving Tsunade a full report of everything that he and Naruto encountered on the trip when the young knucklehead himself bounded through the door of the Hokage's office.

"Hey, baa-chan!" Naruto yelled.

Naruto's face came into direct contact with Naruto's face.

"Little brat! Never call me that ever again!" Tsunade scolded. Her face immediately brightened up. "Hello, Naruto. How are you? My, you've grown."

Jaraiya and Shizune sweat-dropped at Tsunade's sudden behavior change. Naruto got back up and rubbed the large bump on his head that Tsunade gave him. Despite the blow, Naruto quickly reverted back to his energetic self.

"I'm fine, and a lot stronger, too!" Naruto announced, pumping his fist into the air. "I can be the Hokage right now!"

Jaraiya patted Naruto's head and smiled.

"Hold your horses, kid. You still have plenty to learn."

"I have already informed all of your comrades, and they want to throw you a welcome home party tonight at the Ninja Academy," Tsunade said, smiling. A party equals sake. Sake equals a happy Tsunade.

"Really," asked Naruto. "A party, for me?"

Jaraiya and Tsunade both nodded.

"Everyone's missed you, kid," Jaraiya said, patting Naruto on the shoulder.

"Besides," added Tsunade. "It's been pretty quiet without you in the village."

Naruto was overjoyed. "Yah! I can't wait!"

As Naruto was imagining how awesome his party would be, Jaraiya interrupted his thoughts.

"You will have to take a shower and change your clothes."

"Why?"

"You don't want to scare everyone away from the party."

-Hours later, around 7:00 pm-

Naruto excitedly paced around his little apartment. He was so excited, even the fact that Jaraiya forced him to wear a suit didn't bother him.

_Now I can't wait to see everyone!_ Naruto thought excitedly. _Man, this is going to be so much fun!_

Naruto checked the clock on his microwave. It read 7:00.

"Time for the party!" Naruto cheered as he ran towards the Ninja Academy.

Naruto arrived and opened the doors to look around.

_Where is everyone? _He thought as he searched the campus. Just before he was going to give up, Naruto walked through the back doors and into the backyard.

"WELCOME HOME, NARUTO!" yelled everyone, nearly scaring Naruto to death. Naruto looked around. There was a large banner, ribbons, and tables with food and drinks. Rock Lee, Neji, Tenten, Hinata, Sakura, Ino, Shino, Shikamaru, Choji, Tsunade, Jaraiya, Kiba, Akamaru, Shizune, Teuchi (the old man from Ichiraku Ramen), Ayame, Konohamaru, Udon, Moegi, Kakashi, Asuma, Guy, Kurenai, Iruka, and even Anko and Ibiki (phew) were present.

Naruto felt like crying. "You all came…"

"OF COURSE!" everybody yelled simultaneously.

Naruto smiled and immediately got to work with greeting and making small talk with all of his guests.

Ino and Sakura stood frozen with heart-shaped eyes. They were literally ogling Naruto. Hinata glanced in their direction and noticed how they were staring at Naruto.

"Oh, no," Hinata muttered to herself. The last thing she needed was competition.

"Whoa, is that sexy man Naruto?" asked Ino.

"I-I think so," answered Sakura.

"Look at how tall he is! And that sexy-yet-adorable-at-the-same-time face," Ino said excitedly as she began to describe all of Naruto's features.

"Yeah, he's really grown. Just to let you know, he's mine, Ino-pig," Sakura declared, cutting Ino off in mid-speech.

"Dream on, forehead girl," Ino shot back. "I saw him first."

"Oh, yeah?" Sakura challenged with a smile. "He loves me. He used to ask me out every day."

Hinata could not take hearing anymore. She ran as far as she could away from the two bickering kunoichi. She found herself back at Naruto's secret clearing. Sighing, she at back down.

_I really hate to leave Naruto-kun's party, but if I hear another word out of those…..girls, I would go insane._ She glanced up at the beautiful night sky. _I have to be more direct with Naruto-kun, I'm afraid. _(Yes, even Hinata admits that Naruto is the densest guy to come out of Konoha).

A couple hours went by, and everyone started to leave. Naruto was finishing a ramen-eating contest with Choji. Rock Lee, Neji, and Shikamaru already lost count and were simply waiting until one of them dropped.

"ANOTHER BOWL!!" shouted Naruto and Choji simultaneously.

"Sorry," apologized Teuchi. "We're out of ramen."

"We brought extra, knowing that this was Naruto's party, but those guys went through it and still want more," noted Ayame, amazed.

"Those boys are nothin' nut wild animals," commented Anko as swallowed a mouthful of dango and reached for some more.

Ayame and Teuchi sweat-dropped. "You're exactly the same…"

Jaraiya and Tsunade were having a drinking contest, which was gathering most of the chunin and jonin present.

Jaraiya finally collapsed, totally defeated.

"Hah, I win, ya perv," Tsunade said with a slur. It was obvious that she had way too much to drink.

"Let's go Tsunade-sama," Shizune said gently as she led Tsunade to the Hokage office. "You need to rest."

"Bye, Naruto."

"Later, Naruto."

"See ya later."

Soon, everyone except Choji, Sakura, and Ino were gone. Choji was still helping himself to the snacks. Sakura and Ino were busy ogling Naruto.

Naruto reluctantly walked over to greet Sakura. He remembered how he let her down on his promise years ago.

"Um…..hi, Sakura," he said sheepishly.

"See, Ino! He said hi to me first!" Sakura yelled, doing a victory dance.

"Damnit!" cried Ino in defeat. "How could I lose to forehead girl?"

"Um….hi Ino," he said, now uncomfortable with both of the girls behavior.

"Ha! He was just being nice when he said hi to you! When he said my name, he said it with the passion and longing of a loving soul," Ino said gleefully with sparkly eyes.

"What the hell?" yelled Naruto and Sakura.

Naruto was officially creeped out with the two kunoichi beside him.

"Uh…sorry, but I really have to go do something important," he said as he ran away towards the forest.

"Bye, Nar-uto-kun!" both of the girls shouted after him lovingly.

"Ugh…what the hell?" Naruto asked himself as he walked through the forest in search of his special clearing. "Did Sakura and Ino come down with a mental condition when I was gone?"

Naruto found his special spot, but once again found someone laying down on it.

"Hinata?" Naruto said, snapping Hinata out of her fantasies. "What are you doing way out here this late?"

"Huh?" gasped Hinata out of surprise. "H-hi, N-naruto-kun."

"I didn't see you at the party for a long time. I thought that you might have went home because you weren't feeling well earlier."

"N-no it i-isn't that."

Naruto walked up to Hinata and laid down next to her to gaze at the beautiful night sky.

"Do you mind telling me?"

"Its about Ino and Sakura…" Hinata started to say.

"I know! They have been acting weird, haven't they?" interrupted Naruto. "Do they act like that all the time?"

Hinata felt nervous and temporarily lost her stutter.

"Why? What did they do to you?"

Naruto was surprised by the urgency in her voice. "I said hi to them and they started to dance around like they won the lottery."

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief.

"Anyway, what did they do to you, Hinata?"

"W-w-well, th-they were t-talking about y-you.."

"Damnit!" shouted Naruto shouted, scaring Hinata. "Why doesn't she see that I tried my best? I nearly died trying to bring their precious Sasuke back. I miss him too…" Tears started to run down Naruto's face. "If I brought him back, we would have been arguing right now, damnit."

Naruto noticed that Hinata was sitting next to him and quickly composed himself. _Damnit! That looked so uncool_ Naruto thought as he wiped his tears on his suit.

Hinata was surprised. Naruto was opening himself up to her. _Now's your chance!_ Hinata thought.

Using all of her courage, Hinata sat up and gave Naruto a big hug. Naruto was speechless.

"H-Hinata?"

Hinata pulled away. Her face turned a familiar crimson color.

"I d-don't think y-you're a f-f-failure, N-Naruto-kun," Hinata quietly said as she began to poke her index fingers together. "I t-think th-that your th-the c-coolest and g-greatest n-ninja in the e-entire vi-village wh-who is g-going to become the h-hokage."

It was Naruto's turn to surprise Hinata. He gave her a big hug, which almost made Hinata faint.

"Thank you, Hinata-chan. I needed that."

Naruto slowly pulled away and laid back down on the ground. Hinata did the same.

"N-Naruto-kun?"

"Yes, Hinata?"

"D-do y-you mind I-if I ask y-y-you a p-personal que-question?"

"Shoot."

"W-why is e-everybody m-mean t-to y-you?"

_That's right! _Thought Naruto. _She doesn't know about the damned fox!_

"Because I was born."

"I don't understand why they act that way," Hinata said, losing her stutter again temporarily. "I've seen you abused, spat on, and harassed by almost every villager you walk by. It's like they see a demon every time they see you."

Naruto winced at the comparison.

"When I see you, I see the future Hokage, who carries the hopes and dreams of the entire village!" continued Hinata.

Naruto smiled and got back up.

"Whoa, Hinata. I wish I talked to you sooner."

Hinata blushed in response.

Naruto held out his hand. "Come on, Hinata. Let's get you home."

Hinata grabbed Naruto's hand and he pulled her up of the ground. Hinata blushed at the contact. Naruto was beginning to pull his hand away when she stopped him.

"Wait," Hinata spoke up, blushing at what she was about to say. "C-can w-we h-h-hold hands f-for a while l-longer?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure," Naruto said coolly. "It is cold, after all, and you don't have gloves with you."

Hinata sighed at how dense he was. She was, however, satisfied at how close she got to Naruto that night.

And so Naruto and Hinata walked home, both feeling warm and happy despite the cold and dark night.

Thank you for reading the second chapter!!

If you liked it, please review!!! (Cause it's nice to know if people like your story)

Also, tell me how I can improve on some areas (because I know that some definitely need improvement). I will try my hardest to update regularly, so look for a new chapter every couple days or so.

Again, thanks, and keep the NaruHina love strong!!!!!!!!!! XD


	3. Jaraiya, Master Matchmaker

Thanks a bunch everyone who wrote a review. I really appreciate it. I was on Icanhascheezburger yesterday, and now I am hooked on Lolcat pics! They are sooo awesome. Now I've been speaking in Lolspeak all day. Anyway, as the lolcats would say: I can haz reviews, plz?

Now, onto teh story (darn Lolspeak)

Naruto woke up to the familiar dirty, cramped, and old apartment he always loved. Naruto rolled over his messy pile of sheets and let out a content sigh.

_Man, it really feels good to be back._

Yawning, Naruto sat up in his bed and glanced at his microwave clock. It was nearly noon.

_I was up late yesterday,_ Naruto thought to himself. _It will take a while for me to get used to actually being back._

Naruto got out of bed and rummaged through the small room for breakfast. On the table sat a tropical fruit basket with a note attached to it.

_A good ninja eats his fruits and vegetable –Jaraiya_

Smiling, Naruto picked up an apple to eat and got ready for the day. In no time he was walking out the door, looking for something to do. Right as Naruto stepped through his door, he saw a most peculiar sight. In the bushes across the street, two figures, one blond-haired and the other pink-haired, were fighting over a pair of binoculars.

"Give them to me, Ino-pig, you damn stalker!" cried Sakura.

"What does that make you then, forehead girl? You are stalking him, too!"

"I was….um….just walking by and decided to go bird-watching."

"That is the biggest load of bull I've ever heard! And get your own binoculars!"

As the two crazed kunoichi were arguing, they didn't notice Naruto walk over to the bushes.

"Hi, Sakura! Hi, Ino! What are you doing? Bird watching?" he asked, motioning to the binoculars.

Ino and Sakura both exchanged nervous smiles and shook their heads. Sometimes it was a good thing that Naruto was so stupid.

"Uh…yeah," they both said at the same time nervously. "Bye, Naruto. I have to go do something."

Naruto just scratched his head as the two girls ran down the street, arguing the whole way (of course).

_I swear! _Naruto thought. _I think those two need to be drug tested!_

Naruto turned around and ran into Hinata, who just 'happened' to be walking through the street that Naruto lives on at that exact moment. Hinata was sent plunging towards the ground from the impact. Luckily, Naruto acted fast and caught Hinata before she hit the floor.

"Are you okay, Hinata?" Naruto asked.

"N-N-N-Naruto-k-k-kun? Y-y-y-your h-h-hand….," Hinata managed to get out before Naruto looked down and realized what he had grabbed when he caught her.

Naruto's face went into a full blush. His hand was right on Hinata's butt. It didn't take Naruto a long time to realize what was going on.

"AHHHH! Sorry, sorry, sorry! Damn it! Why did I do that? Shit! Sorry, sorry, Hinata! I didn't mean to-" Naruto shouted as he jumped back. He wanted to drop dead. No doubt that Hinata would hate a scumbag for him forever. He knows some girls well enough (cough, cough, Sakura) to guess what's going to happen next. Hinata's hand across the face, probably. That, or a powerful kick to the family jewels.

"I-I-I-It's o-o-o-okay, N-Naruto-kun," Hinata said gently, still trying to recover from what had just happened. The blush covering her face was probably the biggest one she ever had.

"Huh?" was all Naruto could muster up. He was absolutely sure, no, _positive_, that Hinata would go into ultra-crazy homicide violence mode (that's what Naruto calls it) after what he just did. The next thing she did surprised him even more.

"S-S-Sorry, N-Naruto-kun," she whispered, barely audible. But Naruto heard it, and there was no mistaking the fact that she actually apologized.

_Wait….why did she apologize? Aren't all girls supposed to kill me right about now? _Naruto asked himself. Yes, he actually thought he had females all figured out (funny, huh?).

"Why are you apologizing, Hinata?"

"B-because if it w-weren't f-for m-my clumsiness, t-then you w-wouldn't h-have ended up in s-such a-an u-uncomfortable c-circumstance," she answered, still red in the face.

"Hinata…..I should apologize," Naruto said just as softly. For some reason, his throat was getting dry. His stomach also formed a couple knots.

_One things for sure_, he thought to himself. _Hinata is not like other girls…..she's special._

Hinata looked up at Naruto, who had gotten closer to her. So close, that his head blocked the sun from her view. She could see the outline of his sharp cheeks and spiky blond hair. He looked so beautiful…

"Hey, how's it going, you two lovebirds?"

Naruto and Hinata both instantly snapped out of their thoughts and jumped away from each other, blushing furiously. Yup, the moment was ruined by none other than….

"Damnit, Pervy Sage!" Naruto shouted at the tall, white-haired man. "What are you doing here?"

"Awwww," Jaraiya cooed in his best cutesy voice. "Did I interrupt? Should I leave you two to your 'business'?"

At each word Jaraiya said, Hinata got redder and redder. Yes, she was going for the record, folks.

"I think I'll base my new Icha-Icha book off of you two," Jaraiya said, still talking in his disturbing cutesy voice.

"Don't you dare!" Naruto roared as he pounced on the Sannin and preceded to use Jaraiya's head as a new punching bag.

"Ow…ow!" cried Jaraiya. "Alright, kid. I get it!"

"You better," Naruto warned as he got off of Jaraiya. "Hinata and I are friends, damn perv."

Even though what Naruto said was true, Hinata couldn't help but feel disappointed at his words.

"W-w-w-well, s-see y-you later, N-Naruto-kun," Hinata said, as she quickly sped down the road.

"Bye, Hinata," Naruto called after her, even though she was out of sight at that point.

Naruto glared at Jaraiya and walked off to Ichiraku's to get a bite to eat. All the commotion so early in the morning really gave Naruto an appetite, and the apple he munched on earlier really didn't appeal to his stomach as much as a nice, warm bowl of beef ramen.

Jaraiya just stood in the road as the two young ninja walked to their various tasks.

_You mean he still doesn't know yet?_ Thought Jaraiya. _Damn kid, its do obvious. To think that such a fine girl like Hinata would fall head over heels for him and not notice it!_

Jaraiya pondered his thoughts for a couple seconds before he came to a conclusion. A mischievous smile slowly crept across his face as he rubbed his hands together like an evil genius.

"Yes," he said out load in a sinister tone. "Perfect…..this is a job for….."

Jaraiya spread his legs apart and pumped his fist into the air, making what appeared to be an action pose. Villagers passing by seriously questioned the man's mental state.

"……Jaraiya, Master Matchmaker!!!!" he announced, shouting at the top of his lungs. "…and I know just how to get those two together! Muahahahahahahah!!!"

-Naruto, later that day-

"Damn that Perverted Hermit," Naruto mumbled as he stepped out of the shower. He was normally still training at this time, but he wasn't able to focus because of what Jaraiya said to Hinata and him earlier that day. "Hinata is probably angry for sure this time."

Naruto got some clean clothes on, a plain black shirt and orange pants, and walked out of the bathroom, nearly having a heart attack in the process.

"Pervy Sage? What the hell are you doing here?" Yelled Naruto. "You scared me half to death."  
Jaraiya wrinkled his nose. "You should clean up this wreck of an apartment someday."

"I SAID WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Naruto asked again, but louder in case Jaraiya didn't get the message this time. Today, Naruto was really short on patience, especially with this man.

"Oh, yeah," Jaraiya said, scratching his head, as if he forgot what he was going to say. "I really wanted to make it up to you for saying those things in front of Hinata."

"And….?"

"I bought you two tickets to Konoha's famous hot spring for today only," Jaraiya announced as he held out two slips of paper.

Naruto took the two slips and looked at them carefully, suspecting this to be one of Jaraiya's pranks. After giving them a last glance-over, Naruto was satisfied.

"Let's go then, I could really use some stress-relief!"

"Ummm….no, Naruto," Jaraiya said hastily. "I have to do something. Invite someone else."

As Jaraiya spoke, he went over the plan in his head. _Of course Naruto will ask a girl, wont he? He is a guy, after all. Hot Springs mean only one thing to guys: peeping. He will ask Hinata to go, peek on her and discover her beautiful body, and then its happily ever after. That's how it works in the novels, anyway. How different can real life be?_

"Oh, then I'll just ask bushybrows, then," Naruto said happily as he began to walk out the door.

"Wait! Not him! He is training with Guy!" Jaraiya shouted loudly.

Jaraiya once again went over his foolproof plan. _What's wrong with him? Doesn't he know that Hot Springs=naked women?_

"Okay, maybe Kiba then."

"He's busy!"

"Choji?"

"Out with Asuma at a barbeque."

"Shikamaru?"

Jaraiya slapped his forehead. This was getting nowhere fast.

"Ask Hinata!" he roared, before mumbling under his breath how Naruto was a disgrace to all men.

"Hinata?"

"Yes!"

"I think she hates me right now."

Jaraiya slapped his head again. _No genius, quite the opposite, in fact._

"You should use this as an opportunity to apologize."

Naruto's face brightened up. "Good idea, Pervy Sage! I ow you one!"

With that, Naruto stormed out of his apartment door in search of the young Hyuuga, leaving Jaraiya in his apartment with a mischievous grin.

"Yesssss…..excellent…..Muahahahahahaha!"

-Hinata-

Hinata wandered around the outside of the Hyuuga complex, tending to her favorite flowers, lilies. She was thinking about what happened earlier, blushing each time she remembered it.

"Hey, Hinata!"

Hinata dropped her watering can out of surprise. She knew that voice. She'd know it anywhere, at any time. Naruto.

"N-Naruto-k-kun?"

"Hey, Hinata!" Naruto said, as he stopped to catch his breath. He held one ticket to the Hot Springs in front of her face.

"W-what is t-this?" she asked, hoping that it would be a ticket to a movie, or something of that sort.

"Will you go to the Hot Springs with me?" Naruto asked.

Hinata allowed his words to register all the way in her head. She read the words 'MIXED BATH', which were printed in bold letters all over the front of the slip of paper Naruto held out to her. Everything finally clicked in her brain.

"M-m-mixed b-b-ath….N-N-Naruto…..H-h-h-hot s-springs….."

All of this was too much for poor little Hinata's heart so suddenly. She fainted on the spot.

"Hinata! Hinata!" Naruto yelled, trying to shake Hinata awake.

The noise alerted two Hyuuga Clan guards, who decided to investigate.

"Hinata-sama!" they both shouted as they charged towards Naruto, kunais drawn.

"Damn it!" Naruto cursed as he started to flee. "Now I look like some kind of rapist!"

"Alert Hiashi-sama immediately!" one of the guards said to the other. "The demon boy tried to assault Hinata-sama."

"He wont get away," the other vowed as he ran into the complex to tell Hiashi the news. "The demon boy will pay for attacking the princess of the Hyuuga Clan!"

Jaraiya sat on a nearby rooftop, watching the whole chaotic scene unfold.

_Damnit! Plan number one didn't work out as planned. There are just a couple minor consequences (_Yeah. A couple). _Oh, well! Master Matchmaker Jaraiya always succeeds! Muahahahaahahah!_

Jaraiya stood up and took his action pose.

"The Master Matchmaker will succeed, with ultimate plan number two!"

_I look so cool right now!_

Hope you liked it! Please review!!!! Let me know if I'm doing a good job or a horrible job. (Kind words are preferred)

Review!!!!!please????

(I'm not the demanding type)


	4. Tsunade and Jaraiya's Plan

Hey, everybody! First off, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the story: Kingkakashi, Rose Tiger, Ghost tiger, Jolly Green, daniel 29, blblblblbl, ZaiFlare, shkamaru 15, Steph, Elemental Dragon Swordman, T-Naruto, GraityTheWizard, helovestowrite, and naruhina-fanboy-devlin. You all are so nice (I'd give you all a big bear hug if I could).

Well, anyway, thanks again for the reviews (I'd give you all another bear hug if I could). I might plan to make the chapters longer in the future because I personally feel that I can fit in more, but then again, it would take more time to update. Well, I guess it depends on my mood. Anyways, on to the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This is a good thing, because I am bad at planning a story (I am winging this one).

Naruto walked through the village, trying to take in all of the insanity of the past couple days. It was early in the morning, and Naruto was heading towards the Hokage's office. Earlier, Jaraiya told him that Tsunade had a mission for him. Naruto arrived at the office door, and was surprised to bump into Hinata.

"Hinata! Are you okay?" Naruto asked. "You fainted yesterday. I think that you may have a fever."

Hinata blushed after remembering what had happened yesterday. It was all very peculiar. First, Naruto comes out of nowhere with tickets to a mixed bath. Next thing she knew, her father, Hiashi, who forbid her from even speaking to Naruto, awakened her.

"I-I-I'm f-fine, N-Naruto-kun."

"Well, that's a relief. I was worried all day yesterday," Naruto said as he stepped into Tsunade's office, holding the door open for Hinata. "After you."

Hinata thanked Naruto, and then walked in, blushing madly. Not only was Naruto being polite to her, but he was also worried about her health all day yesterday.

The two ninja walked up to Tsunade's cluttered desk, where the Hokage herself sat with a suspicious smile on her face.

"Naruto and Hinata. The two very ninja who I want to see," she said calmly. "I have a mission for both of you."

Naruto and Hinata just shook their heads. What was going on? Why weren't they assigned to a three-man cell? Why was Tsunade smiling so early in the morning?

"I want you two to investigate a gourmet restaurant in the Land of Rice," Tsunade continued as she slid them both an envelope of money and the reservations. "I reserved a table for you two at six o' clock tomorrow, and don't be late. I want you two to set off at eight this evening."

Naruto and Hinata were very confused. This didn't sound like a mission. This sounded like some kind of date setup. They kept their mouths closed, though. They knew better than to question Tsunade this early in the morning.

"I will have pre-prepared gear and tents ready for you this evening," Tsunade finished, and with a coy smile added: "Don't let me down, you two."

Naruto and Hinata left Tsunade's office, not knowing what to think. Something strange was going on. It felt like some dark figure was pulling the strings.

Jaraiya smiled as he sat outside of Tsunade's office. This plan was perfect. He knew that it was going to rain that night, so he prepared Naruto and Hinata packs of camping gear. He poked a bunch of holes in Hinata's tent and sleeping bag, which would force her to sleep in Naruto's tent-and in his very own sleeping bag.

Jaraiya rubbed his hands together and put on a perverted smile.

_And no teenage boy would pass up that chance to make some "love time"._

He bribed Tsunade with sake to go along with his plan (he knew that she also though it was about time Naruto and Hinata got together). She added in the bit about the restaurant. She said it was her personal touch.

_This plan is probably one of the greatest plans I ever thought of. That knucklehead Naruto is lucky to have a wise, cool, and powerful master like myself._

Jaraiya walked off to re-check the camping gear that was going to be issued to Naruto and Hinata, feeling very satisfied with himself.

-Eight o' clock, that evening-

Naruto and Hinata were ready to head off. The two were still confused about the whole operation, but they knew that Tsunade was being oddly pushy with this mission. Not only that, but Jaraiya was also giving the two perverted smiles.

Naruto slung his backpack over his shoulders and walked through Konoha's front gate. Hinata followed after him.

"Hey, Hinata, don't you think that baa-chan and the pervy sage have been acting strange today?" asked Naruto as they started to walk through the forest outside of Konoha.

"Y-Yes I-I do," Hinata answered softly. She still could not believe how lucky she was to go on a mission alone with Naruto. She had to pinch herself multiple times that day to make sure it wasn't a dream.

Naruto looked up at the dark, starless sky. It was unusually chilly, even for Fall. Naruto had the slight suspicion that it was going to rain.

"Are you cold, Hinata?" Naruto asked in a very concerned tone. Lately, Hinata has been on his mind. Sure, he didn't know a whole lot about her two and a half years ago, but lately he found himself worrying about her, wanting to help her, and longing to get to know her better. He was glad he was put on the mission alone with Hinata, for some reason.

"I-I'm o-okay," Hinata whispered, trying to hide her shivering. "T-Thank you f-for a-asking."

Naruto stopped walking and looked back a couple feet behind him at Hinata, who was clearly trying to hide the fact that she was cold. Naruto estimated that they were halfway to the Rice Village.

"Please, don't hid the fact that you are cold," Naruto said with a smile warmer than a campfire. "I want to help, you know."

Hinata was moved by how much Naruto was showing that he cared for her. "S-sorry, N-Naruto-k-kun."

"Let's make camp here," Naruto said as they walked into a bare spot in the forest. "This spot is perfect."

Naruto and Hinata both set their large backpacks down and began to set up camp. Naruto set up his tent in record time, and was soon rummaging through the backpack for any food. Naruto grimaced when he found out the food was all canned. Naruto took his shirt and pants off and started to look for a change of clothes when a peculiar little box caught his eyes. Naruto picked up the box and examined the side.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!?"

Hinata, alarmed and worried by Naruto's outburst, ran into Naruto's tent. She saw Naruto in his boxers, holding a box of condoms (compliments of Jaraiya) in his right hand. She stared at Naruto. Then at the condoms. Then at Naruto again.

"T-this isn't w-what it looks like," Naruto said nervously and embarrassed. "I-I didn't p-pack this…"

Hinata didn't hear a word Naruto said. She had already fainted.

"Who the hell packed this?" Naruto asked, to no one in particular as he got his clothes back on and finished setting up Hinata's tent.

_How am I going to explain that when she wakes up?_ Naruto thought as he worked on Hinata's tent. _Uh-oh. This tent's full of holes. I thought that all tents are supposed to be inspected monthly. Damn._

Naruto looked up at the dark sky. There was no mistaking it. It was going to rain.

_Wait-does this mean I have to share a tent with…Hinata?_ Naruto got lost in thought for a minute, thinking about possible outcomes if it really shared a tent. Naruto started to bang his head against a tree when his thoughts started to venture into pervert territory.

Naruto finished the tent, despite the holes, as Hinata stared to wake back up.

_Oh, well. Guess I have to man up and take the holey tent._

Naruto walked back into his tent to get his stuff, and saw Hinata awake.

"Oh, H-Hinata?" Naruto said in surprised. He quickly tried to grab his stuff and tried to hide his flustered face. "S-Sorry about earlier. Someone p-put that in the bag."

Hinata smiled. She almost never saw Naruto embarrassed like this before.

"I-It's o-okay, Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly. She was kind of glad it was all a misunderstanding, but she couldn't help that small part of her that felt disappointed.

Naruto grabbed his stuff and proceeded to walk out of the tent.

"Well, I'll be going to sleep now," Naruto said quickly, obviously still trying to hide his embarrassment.

"W-Wait, Naruto-kun. I-Isn't this y-your tent?" Hinata asked.

"Well, it is full of holes," Naruto answered as he worked on unzipping the jammed zipper of the tent.

The two fell silent as Naruto worked on fixing the zipper. The pitter-patter of raindrops hitting the top of the tent filled both of their ears.

Naruto finally worked the door open and started to walk outside.

"W-Wait!" shouted Hinata, a little too loudly. "Y-You may catch a c-cold."

Naruto stopped, and turned around.

"But your sleeping bag is also holey, and we can't fit another one in this one-man tent…"

Hinata blushed madly at what she was going to say.

"I-I d-don't m-m-mind sh-sharing.."

Naruto looked at Hinata, and then at the holey tent ten feet away. It was already filled with water. True, sleeping in the same sleeping bag as Hinata did sound _way_ better than sleeping in a tent filled with water.

"If it's okay with you," Naruto said softly with a light blush across his cheeks.

"I-If its y-you, Naruto-kun…"

Naruto turned around. "Well…alright."

Hinata felt excited and nervous at the same time. She fought to stay conscious to experience the thrill of sleeping in the same bed as Naruto. She felt like she won the lottery-no, she felt luckier than that. There is only one Naruto, after all, and only one girl would be lucky enough to be with him.

Hinata shyly opened up the sleeping bag a little for Naruto to get in. Naruto blushed when he saw that Hinata changed into a nightgown she smuggled into her backpack.

Naruto blushed as he stole a peek at Hinata's cream-colored legs. You see, the nightgown only stopped at mid-thigh. Naruto couldn't help but picture Hinata's legs over and over again in his mind. Those long, perfect, and spotless legs, which seemed to glow from the light of the lantern. Naruto shook his head of any perverted thought he had. This definitely was not the time for that.

Hinata felt a tingle of excitement as Naruto settled down in the bed. She felt like cuddling him right then and there, but she didn't have the courage to, of course.

Naruto shuddered as he felt Hinata's bare leg brush against his leg. He started having second thoughts about this.

_What if I wake up pitchin' the tent (if you know what I mean)?_

Hinata shivered, partly from her excitement, and partly because of how cold it was. True, they were inside of a sleeping bag, but it was still extremely cold. The two young ninja wouldn't have been surprised if it started snowing.

"N-Naruto-kun?"

"Y-Yes, Hinata?"

Hinata gathered her courage. To say she was blushing would be an understatement.

"W-Well, its c-cold, and w-we learned i-in t-the academy th-that the h-human b-body give o-off heat…"

Naruto caught on to what she was saying. Sure, he didn't know a lot when it came to romance, but he did learn a lot of things when he was with Jaraiya. Sure, he would not admit it out loud, but that perverted old man sure does know a lot, and Naruto knew that for a fact.

"O-Okay, Hinata."

Hinata squealed a little bit as Naruto moved in closer to her.

"S-Sorry," Naruto said as he scooted away from her.

Hinata took a couple deep breaths to control her breathing. "N-No, It's o-okay, really."

Naruto scooted closer to Hinata again, and awkwardly touched her side with his.

Hinata took one more deep breath and gathered all her remaining courage to wrap her arms around Naruto, immediately feeling his warmth. Hinata was proud of herself. She never, in a million years, pictured herself being this brave.

Naruto was surprised and wrapped his arms around Hinata. Naruto did not know what to think. He never, in a million years, pictured himself being this nervous.

And so Naruto and Hinata laid in the sleeping bag in peaceful silence as the sound of the rain pelting the roof resounded throughout the tent. They slowly started to drift off to sleep as they let each other's warmth engulf the other, like a peaceful campfire, spreading warmth not only throughout the body, but also inside the soul. Naruto and Hinata both enjoyed the peacefulness of then night, forgetting about all of their troubles back at home. It was a strange experience for Naruto, who had been lonely his whole life. He felt like he could hear Hinata calling out to him. He felt all of her pain, happiness, excitement and loneliness in that embrace. This was nothing new for Hinata, though: she had always felt this for Naruto her whole life.

_Hinata truly is…an amazing girl._

-Meanwhile, in Konoha-

Jaraiya and Hinata sat on top of the Hokage Tower, enjoying bottles of sake as they counted off the hours till dawn. They had been up there since it stopped raining.

"Hehehe, and remember the time Orochimaru asked you to the Ninja Academy Dance? I never saw him more nervous in his life!" Jaraiya said, in between laughs and mouthfuls of sake.

"Hahahaha! For a second, the master of fear and illusions looked like he was about to die from nervousness!" Tsunade hollered, trying not to have her sake shoot out her nose from laughing and drinking at the same time.

"Yeah, those were the good old days," Jaraiya said, immediately becoming quiet again. His face grew serious, and his eyes shone with regret.

"You still miss Orochimaru, don't you?"

"It's too late for him, though," Jaraiya said sadly as he took a long swig of sake, and discarded the empty bottle. "I could have brought him back, if only I was just a little better…"

"Its not your fault," Tsunade said quietly.

"I felt like it was, though. That is why I want to help Naruto. He reminds me of the Fourth and me," Jaraiya said as he stared at the night sky.

"Yeah," Tsunade whispered. "At least the kid's still got a chance…"

Jaraiya's face immediately brightened up again.

"I wonder what he and his princess are doing right now?"

Tsunade sneered. "Don't give me that perverted look. Besides, Hinata lacks the courage to take things _that_ fast."

"Well, in this novel I read the main character-"

"Real life doesn't work that way."

Jaraiya looked appalled. "Well, I'll have you know that those novels portray life in a realistic view."

Tsunade laughed. "Yeah, right. I read one of those novels. All it was about is (censored), (censored, and oh, more (censored)."

And so Tsunade and Jaraiya began arguing until dawn, hoping the best for Naruto and Hinata's "mission" that day.

Hope you liked it! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Please remember to review the story if you liked it. I would really appreciate it.

See you next chapter! Toodles!


	5. The Unofficial Date

Hey, everybody! Sorry for that long period of hiatus, but my goddamn piece of junk computer crashed. I kicked it and broke it, which didn't help much. Well, at least it worked as an outlet for my anger. Anyway, I finally got to post up the latest chapter. To make it up to everyone, I will try as hard as I can to update every other day for the next couple weeks. I hope that you will like this chapter after the long break. Again, I am sorry for the long delay (bows deeply).

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I think that much is pretty obvious….

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, getting an in-your-face view at Hinata's cleavage.

"AAAHHH," Naruto screamed in surprise and tried to erase the picture from his mind. Its not that he didn't like it…it was quite the opposite, actually. It was just that he was surprised to see something like that first thing in the morning. That, and it was also getting a little warm "down there".

Naruto covered his mouth, forgetting that Hinata was still asleep. He slowly started to crawl towards the tent door; trying not to make a sound-until something caught him.

"Naruto-kun…," Hinata murmured in her sleep as she wrapped her arms around Naruto's body.

Naruto was caught. He did not know what to do in this kind of situation. _Damn it! Should I wake her up? Should I just stay here?_

Hinata's cool, gentle breaths and the rising and falling of her stomach interrupted Naruto's thoughts.

_Maybe…I should stay like this for a while…_

Naruto started to settle back into the sleeping bag when one of his cold feet accidentally touched Hinata's leg.

Hinata jolted a wake with an "Eeek!"

"Umm…good morning, Hinata," Naruto said awkwardly.

Hinata looked at Naruto, and then she noticed how she was holding onto him. She broke away from the hug/cuddle with a raging blush.

"G-Good morning, N-Naruto-kun."

Naruto looked around, as if he was looking for an excuse to escape the awkward situation he was in. "I-I'll just go take a bath, Hinata. I'll also bring back breakfast."

And with that, Naruto madly dashed out of the tent. Hinata watched him eagerly run off, and sighed. _I wish I could hold Naruto-kun…for just a while longer…_

Naruto arrived at the riverbank and quickly stripped down to his boxers. He needed a nice, cool bath more than anything. Without even taking a breath, Naruto cannonballed into the icy water.

"AHHH! C-C-COLD!!!" Naruto cried out loud as he re-surfaced. He was madly thrashing hi limbs about as a futile effort to warm his body up. Naruto forgot how cold it was, it did rain last night, and it was also the middle of fall, one of the colder seasons.

Naruto quickly swam a lap and caught a couple fish before he jumped out of the water, eager to start a nice, roaring fire. Naruto changed into his dried clothes, sighing warmly to himself, and ran back to the campsite.

"Hinata! I have breakfast!" Naruto shouted as he paraded back into the campground with his catch held high above his head. Naruto was happy to see that Hinata already made a fire.

Hinata giggled. She could not help but think about how much they looked like a married couple.

Within the hour, Naruto and Hinata sat silently and contently around the fire with a pile of fish bones scattered all over the ground. Naruto looked up at the sky and estimated that it was about ten o' clock.

"We should head over to the Land of Rice about now. We'll have plenty of time before the mission."

"O-Okay, Naruto-kun," Hinata said as they both go up and continued their walk towards the Rice Country.

The two ninja arrived at the Rice Country around noontime. They were surprised at how busy the small village was. Colorful and bright decorations hung from booths lined along the narrow roads. Festive lanterns hung over the streets between rooftops.

"Wow!" Naruto gasped in amazement as he took in the festive atmosphere.

"I-It looks like a f-festival, Naruto-kun," Hinata said. Hinata was both overjoyed and disappointed at the same time. _I can't believe that there is a festival in this village! I just wish I brought something prettier to wear…_

"I wonder what the festival's for," Naruto wondered out loud as the two ninja walked through the crowded roads.

"It's in commemoration for the birth of the Land of Rice," answered a nearby vendor, who obviously overheard Naruto. "You two should stick around. The festival really kicks off in the evening."

"Thanks," Naruto said as he inspected the vendor's merchandise. He was selling cute little plush bears with the kanji for rice sewn on their stomach.

"Awww, how cute!" squealed Hinata as she picked one up and gave it a hug.

_Damn,_ thought Naruto as he watched Hinata. _Hinata sure can be cute…._

Naruto looked from Hinata to the bear. That's when he noticed the price tag.

"What!?! 3,000 yen!?!" Naruto shouted. "For that little thing?"

Hinata winced at Naruto's outburst. Sure, she really wanted the bear, but she would never force Naruto to waste money on her.

"Well, get used ta' it, kid," the vendor said with a sigh. "Pretty much every damn thing here is overpriced."

"I-It's okay, Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a fake smile. "I d-didn't even w-want the bear."

Naruto sighed and scratched the back of his head. He could tell that Hinata actually really wanted the overpriced plushie. _Damn, _he thought. _I guess there's no helping it…_

"Let's check out the rest of the festival, Hinata-chan," Naruto suggested as he led Hinata to a nearby bench. "We should check out the rest of the festival so we can find something better to buy (_and at a lower price)_. Besides, we need to find a hotel so we can put our stuff down, and I need to use the restroom on top of that," Naruto finished, adding a little dance for emphasis on the restroom part.

Hinata giggled at Naruto's antics. "I-I'll go get us some hotel r-rooms, and you can use the r-restroom, Naruto-kun."

"Yeah," agreed Naruto. "Let's meet over her when we're done."

Hinata nodded as they both ran off to do their various tasks. Soon enough, Naruto and Hinata met at the same bench.

"Well, we have about four hours until six," said Naruto as he and Hinata began to walk around and enjoy the festival. "I still cannot believe that baa-chan gave us this mission. Feels like a date setup to me."

Hinata face flushed a deep shade of red at Naruto's astute observation.

"Lately, I've been feeling that the Pervy Sage has been trying to set me up on a date," Naruto rambled on.

Hinata's face flushed an even darker shade of red, if it were possible.

"Oh, well," Naruto said at last. "I'd go on a date for a mission anyday."

As soon as Naruto finished his sentence, he heard a gasp and a thud. Hinata fainted.

_Not again,_ groaned Naruto inwardly.

A couple minutes later, Naruto managed to wake Hinata up.

"You feeling okay?" asked Naruto. "If you don't feel good, we can go back to the hotel."

"I-I'm fine, N-Naruto-kun," Hinata stammered. "I w-want to enjoy the f-festival."

Naruto smiled. "No complaints here. What are we waiting for?"

The hours began to pass like minutes as Naruto and Hinata basked in the festive spirit of the Rice Country. There was always something going on- whether it was street performers, unique vendors, parades, or games. Naruto and Hinata both had some overpriced dango (luckily, Naruto saved up a lot on missions) and saw some interesting street performers. How often do you see some dude wearing a kilt and playing a bagpipe on a street corner? One of Naruto's favorites was the man who drank a cup of milk and shot the milk he drank out of his eyes and back into the cup, to drink it again. The man also put a large glob of chocolate syrup in his mouth, gargled, and shot out chocolate milk from his nostrils.

"Cool!" yelled Naruto enthusiastically, along with half of the audience (mostly male).

The other half of the audience, including Hinata, was disgusted. _Ugh, I don't think I will ever drink chocolate milk again!_

Naruto and Hinata also heard an amazing performance by the beautiful and talented pop idol known only as Sheryl Nome. Naruto even got her to autograph one of his kunai daggers and his cheek after the concert backstage. Hinata couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy. She would give anything to have Naruto ask her to sign her name on his cheek.

_Who am I kidding? I'm not nearly as talented or beautiful as Sheryl Nome,_ thought Hinata.

Luckily (for Hinata), Naruto's cheek was rinsed clean when some guy bumped him on the docks of one of the Rice Country's lakes, causing Naruto to fall face-first into the ice-cold lake. Naruto was out of the water in a flash and yelled at the guy for washing away his 'precious autograph'. The small fight ended with Naruto walking away, shivering from the cold.

Naruto and Hinata ended up going back to the hotel so Naruto can change his clothes before he caught a cold. At the hotel, Naruto pulled out a small plush bear from his jacket pocket and handed it to Hinata.

"Here you go, Hinata-chan," said Naruto as he gave her the bear. "I got it for you earlier when I said I had to go."

Hinata was overjoyed. "N-Naruto-kun! B-But it was so expensive!"

Naruto just smile handsomely. "Nothings to expensive for you, Hinata-chan."

In the heat of the moment, Hinata tackled Naruto with a big, warm hug. Hinata didn't even realize what she was doing until Naruto returned the hug. Her face went red and she fainted.

At around five, when the sun was beginning to set, the Rice Parade started. Naruto and Hinata decided to check it out before they went out to eat. Naruto and Hinata were simply amazed at how detailed each float was decorated. The dancers were also a sight to see, casting a hypnotic sensation with their fluid movements and long, flowing, rainbow-colored robes.

Each float in the parade had a different color to it, and along with the color, it had a theme. Naruto's favorite was a grand float which represented summer. The color was orange, of course. The float was carefully made out of pedals of orange lilies. A giant orange-yellow orb hovered above the float, which represented the sun. Below the orb, dancers in casual-looking orange kimonos danced happily and excitedly, like kids rejoicing that school is out. Naruto laughed as he saw a completely white float pass right after, which represented peace and tranquility. It looked like a big, fluffy cloud.

_Heh, Shikamaru would love that one,_ Naruto thought as he watched the float pass by.

Hinata's favorite was a purple-colored float made of lavender lilac pedals. It represented elegance. The dancers on the float wore extravagant and beautiful ceremonial dresses and masks, and danced with elegant and posh movements. Hinata just loved the dresses.

The parade caused Naruto to lose track of time.

_Damn! _Thought Naruto. _Almost six!_

"Hey, Hinata!"

"Y-yes?" answered Hinata as she turned her attention away from the parade, which seemed to cast an entrancing spell on all the viewers.

"Time to go! We're going to be late!" Naruto said as he grabbed Hinata by the arm and led her to the fancy restaurant. It was like a dream to Hinata-to be able to spend the whole day with Naruto. She and Naruto actually looked like a couple from every angle. The waiter certainly thought so.

After a long day, Naruto and Hinata both crashed in the hotel after a long day of fun and festivities. Hinata was disappointed that it all seemed to end so soon.

The next day, Naruto and Hinata both arrived back in Konoha before noon. No sooner did the two ninja take two steps through the gate before Hinata's sister, Hanabi, interrupted them. Hanabi ran straight into Hinata's arms and was crying profusely.

"Wh-What's wrong?" asked Hinata as she tried to wipe the tears away from Hanabi's eyes.

"I-It's daddy," Hanabi managed to choke out between her tears. "H-He's dying!"

Well, that's the fifth chapter (finally)! Review the story if you liked it (and even if you didn't, I guess). I'm also deciding whether or not I should make this story have some kind of plot with action or just keep it this way: lotsa NaruHina fluff with not a lot of worries. Feel free to tell me what you would like. I'm always open for suggestions.


	6. Hiashi is Dying?

Here's chapter six, in record time. Sorry about the last chapter. I felt that it was too rushed and had too many errors and mistakes. That's because I was up at three in the morning finishing it (that's true devotion). That's also why I put that lame-ass cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter. Hey, I was half dead, so cut me some slack. Now I have to work with it. Hopefully, it won't be too god-awful. Remember, I'm just wingin' it. I am just going wherever the story takes me.

I also wanted to get it out ASAP so everyone can know that I am still alive (for better or for worse, I guess).

As promised, I posted this chapter super fast to make up for the long break, and I hope to at least update two more times this week. Hope everyone loves it!

-G.S.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (that's actually a good thing)

"W-What?" said Hinata disbelievingly. She really didn't know what to do or say. Going out and having the best day of your life while your father is on his deathbed is not exactly a frequent occurrence.

"H-Hokage-sama said t-that it doesn't look good," cried Hanabi. "F-Follow me."

Naruto also didn't know what to do. He wondered if he should try to comfort her or just leave her alone for a while. He didn't really know how it felt to lose a family member, since his family died when he was too young to remember them. He decided that he should stick by her and comfort her if she needed to be comforted.

"Where is he?" asked Hinata, who was stll trying to recover from Hanabi's shocking news.

"Konoha Hospital!" cried Hanabi.

Naruto stayed silent as the three ninja ran full speed through the village. It was awkward and uncomfortable. He wanted to say something that would cheer up Hanabi without coming off as an insensitive asshole.

In a matter of minutes, Naruto, Hinata, and Hanabi burst through the doors of Hiashi's room. Tsunade and Sakura were both in the room next to Hiashi's bed and were having a grave conversation.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Hinata. Almost shouting in Tsunade's face.

"Calm down, Hinata," Tsunade said quietly. "Yelling won't help anything."

"What's wrong with him?" repeated Hinata in a quieter voice.

"He has contracted an unknown disease," explained Sakura. "I haven't seen anything like it. His organs appear to be shrinking. We do not know the cause of this strange reaction."

"How long does he have?" asked Hinata through tears.

"We still do not know- it can be anywhere between a week to a year," Tsunade said as she scanned through some papers on her clipboard. "We should find out by tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, Hinata," said Sakura. "You three will have to leave. We are trying all we can, and we need some space."

Hinata and Hanabi both ran out of the room crying. Naruto just stood in the doorway, not knowing what to do.

"Damnit," cursed Naruto quietly. "I've never felt so powerless."

"She needs you," Sakura said encouragingly as she put one of her hands on Naruto's shoulders. "You should find her, Naruto-kun."

Naruto just shook his head and gave a fake chuckle, which sounded unusually hollow.

"Me? Don't you think I'll just screw it up?" Naruto said bitterly. "When was I ever good with people?"

Before Sakura or Tsunade could answer, Naruto disappeared in a flash through the door.

"The fool," Tsunade said quietly.

Hinata walked through the village, soaked by the sudden rainstorm that hit. Even though it was early in the afternoon, the sky was dark and laden with gray and black rain clouds. She really didn't mind it, though. Since it was rainy, less people were outside. She just needed a moment to think about what was happening.

Any other person besides Hinata would hate their father for putting them through hell all their life. Hiashi forced Hinata to learn the Gentle Fist when she was young, only to be thrown out when he found out she was weaker than Hanabi. At best, Hiashi wouldn't even acknowledge her existence. It was better than being yelled at about how much of a disgrace you were to the family. HIashi even openly declared that both he and the Hyuga Clan would not even care if Hinata died.

But even after all of Hiashi's failures at fatherhood, Hinata couldn't bring herself to hate him. Sure, she would admit that he was not exactly fun to be around, buteven after all of Hiashi's abuse, Hinata still remembered the time when his mom was alive. Back when Hiashi wasn't the stuck-up asshole he is now. Back when he actually smiled and laughed along with Hinata. When he would praise her and encourage her on anything she did. Hiashi didn't used to believe that strength was first priority. Then, shortly after Hanabi's birth, Hinata's mother, Hiashi's wife, died. Ever since his wife died, Hiashi closed himself off in an emotionless shell. In fact, Hinata does not remember HIashi smiling at all after her mother's death.

Hinata didn't hate Hiashi because she still believed that the real Hiashi, the man that loved her more than all of the clan politics and bloodline mumbo-jumbo, was still somewhere in that emotionless shell.

Hinata found herself walking into the secret clearing in Konoha Forest. Normally, the clearing was colorful, bright, and warm. Currently, it was cold, wet, and gray.

_I feel so alone,_ she though to herself as she just sat in the pouring rain.

Meanwhile, Naruto was sitting at Icharaku's Ramen, safe and away from the heavy downpour. Naruto was so lost in thought, he forgot to order. This was certainly a first.

"Hey, Naruto," said Ayame warmly. "What's on your mind?"

Ayame and her father have known Naruto for an extremely long time, and could tell that he was in distress, especially because he didn't even place an order.

"N-Nothing," Naruto said as he snapped back into reality.

"Naruto, I've known you long enough to tell when something is troubling you," the old man said. "You didn't even order your ramen yet."

"I just don't know what to do," Naruto said finally. "One of my friends is losing her father, and I don't know what to say or do. I'm completely stuck."

Ayame just smiled warmly. "I am sure that you will make the right choice, Naruto."

"Yes, do what you think is right," said the old man.

Naruto smiled. "Thanls, guys. I love you guys like family. By the way, can I get a bowl of pork ramen, old man?"

"Sure, Naruto," the old man chuckled. "This one's on the house."

As the two got busy making Naruto's order, Naruto heard someone walk in and take a seat next to him.

"Hi, Ino," greeted Naruto.

"Hi, Naruto-kuuuunnn," purred Ino.

Naruto didn't know how to reply. He shuffled uncomfortably in his seat.

"So, you doing anything today?" asked Ino sweetly. _Yes! Finally I can have Naruto all to myself without Sakura to interrupt me! Time to make my move!_

"Uhhmm, yeah," Naruto stammered. "I was going to go see Hinata…"

"Wait!" shouted Ino, interrupting Naruto. "Your already going out with Hinata?"

"Y-Yes. I mean n-no," Naruto said. He was now very confused.

"Aha!" shouted Ino. "But wouldn't you rather be with me, hmmmm?"

"N-No, I mean yes, I mean maybe…" Naruto said, trying to think of a good answer to her question.

_Damn!_ Thought Naruto. _Ino sure is scary! It's freakin' impossible to talk to her!"_

"I see how it is," Ino said coldly. "I won't be rejected again! I'll make you love me if it's the last thing I do!"

Ino left, leaving a very confused and uncomfortable Naruto.

"What the hell?!?" Naruto shouted out loud, scaring Ayame, which almost made her drop the bowl of pork ramen Naruto ordered.

Naruto left Icharakus and headed straight for his apartment.

_Looks like the rain isn't going to let up soon, _thought Naruto as he unlocked his apartment door and quickly rushed into his dry apartment.

"Finally, a dry place where I can-"

"Hey, Naruto! What's shakin?"

"What the hell?" shouted Naruto. "Pervy Sage?"

"I told you that I am the great Toad Sage Jiraiya!"

"What are you doing her?" asked Naruto angrily. "I am not in the mood to deal with uninvited guests."

Jiraiya's smile vanished and he placed one of his hands on Naruto's shoulder. Before Naruto could protest, Jiraiya began to speak.

"I already know what's going on," he said quietly. "Believe me, Hinata really needs you right now. Even though Hiashi's an ass, Hinata probably doesn't want to lose her only fatherly figure. Hinata's too innocent and nice to hate that man. She just blames herself."

"How do you know so much about Hin-" Naruto began to say, but he was cut off by Jiraiya.

"Something like this happened to me once. A woman I loved lost two of her dearest, closest people. I wanted to be there for her, to comfort her, but I was just too damn afraid to."

Naruto didn't know what to say. Then he smiled at Jiraiya. Even though Jiraiya was sometimes a foolish old pervert, Naruto knew that he was actually a great ninja who was actually quite wise. He was the closest thing Naruto had for a father.

"Thanks, Pervy Sage," he said softly.

"Hurry up, now," said Jiraiya. "I overheard at the Hyuuga compound that Hinata never came home. Wouldn't it suck if she caught a cold in this rain?"

Without another word, Naruto sprinted out of his apartment and down the steps. He has a hunch about were she could be.

Jiraiya smiled as he watched his favorite knuckleheaded ninja bolt out the door and disappear into the rain.

"Young love," he sighed to himself. Before leaving Naruto's apartment, Jiraiya made sure he took out all of Naruto's cup ramen and replace them with fruits and vegetables.

Naruto ran straight for the forest, hoping with all of his might that Hinata was at his old training spot.

Naruto ran full speed into the clearing. He spotted a pale, dark-haired girl sitting in the rain against a tree trunk.

"Hinata!" Naruto called out. "Are you okay?"

Hinata looked up to see her love running at her with a look of concern on her face. Naruto looked doen at the kunoichi and moticed that she was sopping wet and shivering violently.

Naruto didn't know what he should do, but he did what he thought was best. He took Hinata into his arms and held her close to him. He felt her small frame shuddering from the cold.

"It's okay, Hinata," Naruto whispered in her ear. "Your not alone."

Hinata felt warmth spread through her body as Naruto held her close to his body. She returned the hug and wept into his chest, releasing all of her fears, worries, and loneliness. It felt like a heavy weight was removed from her shoulders. She instantly felt lighter, happier.

The two felt the rain stop pouring and looked up. The sky was clearing and the sun was shining through the clouds. It felt like everything was all right again. They just sat in each others' arms for a couple minutes, enjoying each other's warmth and company.

"I think we should go home and change," Naruto said after a while. "My apartment's closer-we can go there."

Hinata nodded as she and Naruto stood up. Hinata felt her legs ache and give in under her own weight. At the same time, she let out a little sneeze.

"I think you have a cold, Hinata. We should take care of the quickly," Naruto said, blushing as he picked her up.

_That looked so cute,_ he thought to himself.

Hoped you liked the chapter! I had a bit more fun writing this one than the last one. If you liked it, please review! I will take any suggestions under consideration. If you don't like a part of the story, or even the story as a whole, please tell me where or what I can improve on, since I'm still new to the whole writing thing. If you loved the story, or part of the story, let me know so I can keep doing it.

NaruHina forever!

-G.S.


	7. Hinata's Sick Day

Yeah! I'm sooooo pumped and bursting with youthful energy! Why? Because I just loved writing this chapter! Why? Because most of it is good ol' NaruHina fluff, and I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff. I think I'll go do a hundred laps around my room on my hands! (or not)

Hope everyone likes it! Enjoy!

-G.S.

Disclaimer: I will own Naruto the day the polar ice caps start to melt. Wait a second….(or not)

Naruto opened the door to his apartment and carried Hinata inside. It was still extremely wet outside, so Naruto thought it would be best to bring Hinata to his apartment because it was close. He also didn't want Hinata's cold to worsen. Naruto carefully laid her down on his sofa and threw her a blanket from the foot of his bed.

"Hold on, Hinata-chan," called Naruto from the next room. "Let me find you dry clothes."

Hinata looked around at the tiny apartment. There were three rooms. Hinata assumed that the room Naruto was looking for clothes in was his bedroom. Hinata was in a small living room that was connected to the kitchen. There was another door opposite to Naruto's room which she assumed was the bathroom. She never saw such a small, humble, and care-free home. The Hyuga household was large, classy, and uptight. Hinata actually preferred Naruto's homely apartment to her clan's giant manor. That's when reality started to sink in for Hinata.

_This has to be a dream! _Hinata quickly thought to herself as she fought off her light-headedness. _Naruto taking care of me when I'm sick?_

"Hey, Hinata!" called Naruto from his bedroom. "I found some clothes. You should change quickly!"

Naruto emerged from his room holding a pair of black shorts and a t-shirt (which was orange, unsurprisingly).

"O-Okay," said Hinata quietly. "T-Thank you."

Naruto handed Hinata the dry clothes and Hinata let out another sneeze.

"Damn," cursed Naruto. "Looks like you really do have a cold. Want me to help you change?"

Time froze for Hinata. _What did he just ask?_

Naruto stared at Hinata's shocked facial expression before he realized how awkward his request sounded. Naruto quickly raised up his hands and flailed them around as a light blush traced his cheeks.

"I-I didn't mean like that Hinata-chan, I was just trying to offer help! Forgive me!"

"I-It's alright, Naruto-kun," Hinata said dizzily. "Y-You meant well. I-Ill just go c-change."

Naruto watched Hinata go into the bathroom and close the door.

"Damn Pervy Sage," muttered Naruto as perverted thoughts started to creep into his mind. Hinata was the first girl to ever set foot into Naruto's apartment, and she was changing in his very own bathroom not even ten feet away. It didn't help that she was also a very attractive girl.

Meanwhile, in Naruto's bathroom, Hinata finished removing her wet clothing, leaving her standing in the middle of Naruto's bathroom wearing nothing but her bra and panties. Hinata got lightheaded just thinking about it. Unfortunately, Hinata's fantasies were cut short by a throbbing pain in her head and a sneeze.

_Maybe Naruto will have something for my cold in the medicine cabinet,_ thought Hinata as she opened the medicine cabinet and let out a small squeal when the cabinet fell off of the wall, spilling all of it's contents on Hinata's head.

"Hinata? Are you okay?" asked Naruto, alarmed by the loud crash and Hinata's small scream. "I'm coming in!"

Hinata was about to answer that she was fine, but at that moment, she looked down at her lap and noticed a peculiar box on her lap….

"Are you okay?" yelled Naruto as he burst through the door. He looked down at the broken medicine cabinet on the floor and immediately figured out what happened. Then he looked up to see Hinata, wearing nothing but her underwear, and holding a box of….

"Condoms?!?" yelled Naruto, as he silently swore to give Jiraiya hell the next time he saw him.

Hinata looked down at the box. She was already at the verge of fainting when Naruto busted through the bathroom door when she was half-naked, but the note on the condom box she glimpsed didn't help.

_Just a little something_

_to help keep a _

_certain Hyuga warm._

_No need to thank me._

_-Jiraiya_

Poor Hinata's head couldn't take it. She was gradually getting better at not fainting around Naruto, but this situation was just too much. She fainted.

Naruto just stood in the bathroom doorway stunned after Hinata fainted. He couldn't help but stare for a couple seconds at Hinata's perfect curves, her smooth legs, her ample breasts…

"No!" yelled Naruto out loud as he grabbed his head. His nose started to bleed as his imaginative got a little too creative. "Damnit, Pervy Sage! I swear I'm gonna get you for this!"

Again, its not that Naruto didn't like the sight in front of him. It was just that it seemed to test Naruto's self-control.

_Then again, Hinata-chan does seem to give off a feeling that's different from other girls, and it makes me feel a little awkward,_ thought Naruto, as he thought back at what Jiraiya said about how loving a girl felt like. _God-I think I've fallen for Hinata!_

An hour later, Hinata woke up on a comfortable coach covered in a toasty and thick blanket. Hinata's head spun as she clearly remembered what caused her to faint.

Naruto watched her awaken from his small kitchen and blushed lightly.

_Damn! This feels so weird-like I can't even talk to her! My heart feels like its racing a mile a minute! Why is this happening now? It wasn't like this before!_

Hinata decided to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Sorry, Naruto-kun," whispered Hinata from the sofa. "I-I didn't mean to break y-your cabinet."

Naruto gave Hinata a warm smile. "I-Its not you fault, Hinata-chan. Y-You see, that medicine cabinet has been broker for years, and that damn Perverted Hermit thought it would be funny to sneak in something perverted, and I meant to repair the cabinet a long time ago, and Jiraiya probably knew," rambled Naruto.

Naruto quickly spun around to hide his blush. _Shit! This is totally embarrassing! _

Hinata noticed Naruto's awkward behavior and smiled. This was probably the first time she ever saw him ramble like that.

"W-Well, Hinata-chan," announced Naruto after another long period of silence. "I was just about to make food. I have ramen in the cabinet, so let me just get it out and heat it up-"

Naruto stopped talking when he saw that someone, obviously Jiraiya, replaced all of his cup ramen with apples and bananas.

"DAMN PERVY SAGE!!!" yelled Naruto as he frantically searched the kitchen, finally finding his precious cup ramen in the trash. Naruto frantically emptied the kitchen trash and hoarded the small pile of ramen like a dragon. "YES!! DAMN PERVY SAGE THOUGHT HE COULD PULL ONE OVER ON ME!!"

Hinata started to giggle at Naruto's antics. Her giggle progressed to a full-on laugh.

Naruto froze. He never heard Hinata laugh before. It was the most beautiful thing he ever heard. Naruto felt a weird kind of warmness in his stomach.

Hinata stopped laughing when she noticed that Naruto was staring at her. She blushed and stared at the wall.

A couple minutes later, Naruto brought a nice, hot cup of instant ramen to Hinata.

"T-Thank you, Naruto-kun," Hinata said as she reached for the cup of ramen.

"Not so fast," Naruto said quickly, before dropping his tone and looking down at the floor. "L-Let I feed you."

"F-Feed m-me?" stuttered Hinata. _I'm in heaven!_

Naruto took a pair of chopsticks and grabbed a clump of noodles from the cup and lowered them into Hinata's mouth. Naruto and Hinata were both blushing madly.

When Naruto and Hinata both finished eating, Naruto went to his room and came back with an extra blanket and a small television under his arm.

"What are you doing, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Well I thought that since your sick here, maybe we could both watch a movie or something, it helps when I'm sick."

Hinata just nodded dumbly. On the inside, though, she felt like bursting out into song. _We could be mistaken for a married couple!_

Hinata moved her legs in to give Naruto room to sit on the small sofa. Naruto put the television on a table across from the sofa and turned out the lights.

"What are we going to watch?" asked Hinata as Naruto turned the television on and took a seat on the sofa.

"Princess Gale!" Naruto said excitedly, like a little kid. "Her movies are the best! Have you ever seen any?"

Hinata just shook her head. Her father never let her see movies because he thought that they were a distraction, and proper Hyugas should never waste their time on 'commoner' entertainment.

"You'll love it!" Naruto said as the movie started.

Hinata was simply amazed. She never watched any television at all, since her family didn't have one, so a high-budget movie like Princess Gale just blew her away. It all looked so real to Hinata. She flinched at the battle scenes and even called out to the characters on screen, shouting things like "Watch out!" and "No! It's a trap!". Naruto just chuckled at Hinata's reaction to seeing the movie. At the climax of the movie, Hinata found herself clinging to Naruto and holding her breath, believing that if she even blinked, she would miss something. When the credits started to role, Hinata was disappointed and really wanted to see more.

"I guess you liked it," said Naruto as he chuckled lightly.

Before Hinata knew it, she was chattering away with Naruto excitedly about her favorite scenes and battles, marveling at how cool it was when Gale used the power of the rainbow to thwart the evil warlock's plans, and how sad it was when Fuyugima dies at the end of the movie.

Hinata and Naruto talked well into the nighttime, and Hinata finally noticed.

"Oh, no!" Hinata said as she jumped up and bowed to Naruto before heading toward the door. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, but it is getting late, and Hanabi might be getting worried."

"Okay," said Naruto as he followed Hinata out the door and handed Hinata her wet clothes. "You can keep those clothes as long as you want, I don't need them back."

"What the hell's going on here?" snarled Kiba as he, Akamaru, and Shino walked up to Naruto and Hinata. "Where were you, Hinata?"

"Oh! I apologize, Kiba-kun," Hinata said. "I had a strange day."

"Tell," said Shino, the man of few words.

"Why are you here, anyways?" asked Naruto.

"Hanabi told us Hinata might be over at your place," answered Kiba coldly. "We have been worried sick about Hinata and couldn't find her anywhere."

As Hinata began to happily retold everything that happened that day, Naruto couldn't help but notice how open Hinata was with her teammates. Naruto knew it was ridiculous, but he couldn't help but feel jealous. He also didn't like the way Kiba was eyeing Hinata while she talked.

"Bye, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, snapping Naruto out of his thoughts. "I'm going home."

Naruto waved and turned to go back to his apartment, but he was stopped by Kiba.

"If you ever…," sneered Kiba. "…take advantage of Hinata's kindness, or do anything that she finds uncomfortable, your gonna answer to me."

"A little overprotective, aren't we, dog boy?" sneered Naruto. "I'd never do that to Hinata. I should be the one warning you."

"Hey, buddy! I wouldn't worry about that! I've known her for a long time!" Kiba shot back as Naruto stepped into his apartment.

"Later, Shino," Naruto said before closing his door in Kiba's face. Kiba growled

"Let's go, Shino," Kiba growled as he turned around. "Wait- are you crying?"

Shino just shook his head as he wiped at the tear with his jacket sleeve. "No."

"Yeah you are!" Kiba said with a smirk. "Why?"

Shino turned so that his back faced Kiba and started to walk away.

_Naruto finally remembered me! After all that time!_ thought Shino happily. _I knew he would never forget a comrade!_

"Hey! Wait up, Shino!" yelled Kiba as he ran after the bug ninja.

Thanks for reading! If you like fluffy chapters like these, just let me know. I always think that these ones are the most fun to write, and I'll happily oblige if my readers want me to make more.

Please review if you haven't done it yet, because they are very much appreciated. (I'm not a review whore, I just love seeing what people think about my story). I'll try to be fast with all my updates, so look for the next chapter soon.

-G.S.


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